Whether you are a novice or a professional horse rider, understanding the parts of your horse tack and how to take care of them ensures that you and your horse always enjoy your rides.
You can use a horse to explore a certain trail or to help you around with your farm work. You may also keep a horse as a pet, and ride it around just for fun. However, you will always require a special horse riding equipment known as a horse tack anytime you want to go horseback riding in Utah.
Saddles and Stirrups
This is the most obvious part of any horse tack. It is the section that you sit on, and it comfortably fits on the back of the horse. Its cushioned leather makes the rider more comfortable since you do not sit directly on the body of your horse.
Additionally, a perfectly fitting saddle ensures that your weight is evenly distributed on the muscles of your horse helping it to work a lot easier. Saddles come in two categories namely the western saddle and the English saddle.
The western saddle has a firm grip also known as a horn that the rider can use to lasso the horse or carry a whip or a rope in it. English saddles, on the other hand, do not have the front horn. This is because they are designed to maximize the comfort and movement of the horse over a long distance.
Regardless of the saddle type that you choose, it must have stirrups. These are firmly attached to your saddle, and they give you space where you can place your legs.
Bridles
This is the most basic part of your horse’s headgear. It is designed to fit around the horse’s nose and jaws and goes over the ears. Once you put it on the horse, you can now attach various equipment meant to direct the horse around.
Just like the saddles, there is a Western and an English bridle. The western bridle is lighter, thinner, and does not have a noseband. The English bridle, however, is thicker, heavier and does have a noseband that goes around the horse’s nose.
Reins
These are made from long leather strips and are normally attached near the horse’s mouth on both sides of the bridle. They further loop around the rear side of your horse’s neck at a length where you can comfortably reach.
You can easily tell your horse which direction you need it to go by gently pulling on the reins. On the Western style, the reins are left to hang free, whereas, in the English style, the reins are clipped to prevent frequent swaying.
Bits
Bits go inside the horse’s mouth and then connects to the bridle. While they are available in various categories, the most common is the snaffle bit.
This is made of rounded metals and has small rings attached on either end. Some come layered with rubber to make it more comfortable for the horse. Regardless of the bit type that you select, never use it too hard or too much to avoid hurting your horse.
Horses are not only beautiful, but they are a lot of fun. Understanding the hardware required for effective back riding not only makes it easy for you to learn and ride but makes it easy for the horse to carry you. Ensure you select a horse tack that matches your horses’ species.
